


First Date

by LovelessKia



Category: Oban Star-Racers
Genre: Budding Romance, Dinner & a movie, Don is a nervous Wreck, F/M, First Date, Fluff, Maya is a babe always, One Shot, a classic!, im so bad at tags sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 12:13:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19723456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelessKia/pseuds/LovelessKia
Summary: After many months of internal debate, Don finally asks Maya out on their first date.





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> *First Date by Blink 182 intensifies* Enjoy this cute one shot!

_ Tap. Tap. Tap. _

Hesitation. Swallowing, adjusting the collar of his suit, letting out a breath. 

He stands there for a minute, looking down, thinking.

Then, he continues walking. 

Turning the corner, he sees her & his nerves seize hold on him again. He stops mid-step, thinking maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she would say no. Why would she say yes, even? What if she was already seeing someone, what if-

"Oh, Don, hey!" He jolted, seeing her turn from her racer to him. She smiled brightly & flipped her hair out of her eyes, giving him a small wave. Even such mundane gestures from her made his heart jump slightly. 

"M-Maya, hello. I, um, had something to ask you." He said nervously, walking up to her. She tilted her head slightly, "Oh? Well, go ahead, shoot." 

Don coughed into his fist, trying to steal his nerves. He could do this, the worst she could say was 'no'. But her curious expression, which he found quite cute, wasn't making it easier. 

Standing up straight, he kept eye contact as well as he could with her & finally asked, "W-Would you care to join me on a...date, this weekend?" 

Immediately, her expression told him that she was caught off guard. And she was, but not negatively. A blush spread over her cheeks, & she blinked her wide eyes while she digested his request, "A date? Like, the romantic kind? Can you date your racers?" 

Oh boy, he was not ready for these questions, "Uh, yes, a romantic date, if that's ok with you? And there's nothing in the regulations of racing management restricting relationships between managers and racers...I think, at least." Visible sweat drops formed on his temples, the nerves coming back & eating away at him.

"Ah...Haha! I see, well then, sure, I'd love to. When were you thinking?" She giggled, still blushing but with a wide smile on her face now. 

Don, surprised by her answer, slowly formed a smile himself, "Oh, does Friday evening sound ok? We could have dinner & a movie?" Maya nodded, giving him a cheerful thumbs up, "Sounds wonderful! Want to pick me up at, say, 6?" He nodded back as well, "Of course, I'll be there right on time." 

Maya suddenly jumped in surprise & reached into the pocket of her practice suit, fishing out a vibrating cell phone. "Ah, sorry, mind if I take this?" she asked Don, pointing to the phone. "No, not at all, I have some things I need to attend to. I'll see you Friday, then, Maya."

"Yeah, can't wait!" She said with a wink, making Don blush wildly. He turned & walked off swiftly in hopes she didn't see it.

Trying to contain his excitement as he strode back to his office, he started planning out their Friday night in his mind, & ways to impress her. He would try his damn best. 

* * *

"I think this is her address…" he mumbled to himself, coming upon her apartment door in the hallway of her building. It was a fairly decent looking place, nothing trashy nor extravagant, but not what he'd expect with her salary. She had been living in the city for half a year, & with her busy budding career in racing, she most likely had little time to go hunting for a nicer place. 

He opened the text message she sent him again, double checking that he had the correct apartment number. Then, he took note that he was 10 minutes early. Would she be bothered if he had come early? Or would she not mind? 

_ "Damn It, Don, don't let your nerves get a hold of you now, its fine… " _ he thought to himself as he stood in front of her door. And did not knock. Or move at all. But he did straighten his tie & adjust his suit, despite him spending plenty of time at home making sure it was pristine. 

His anxiety had wound him up, which caused him to be all the more startled when Maya opened the door herself, looking as if she was ready to head out, "Ah maybe I should go meet him by the building entrance, in case he-Oh, Don, you're here!" She stopped mere seconds before colliding with him & jumped back, blushing slightly in embarrassment. 

Don was bright red himself, but mostly from Maya's appearance. It was quite the drastic difference from her look during race practice, but in the best way. 

She wore a white, soft-looking dress with long sleeves that hung off the sides of her shoulders, leaving them bare. Dangling off her right shoulder was a simple, small dark purple purse. Dark gray pantyhose hugged her toned, slim legs, with stylish black boots on her feet. Her hair was down, as usual, but with an extra shine & tidiness from additional hair products. Small, sparkling crystal earrings decorated her ears, but their dazzle paled in comparison to her face. She had light makeup on, only enough to magnify her features, but it was enough to make his heart flip. 

Don Wei was not ready for this. Despite wearing an (expensive) dress suit & spending an ungodly amount of time making sure he looked his best, he immediately feared looking like a disheveled mess compared to her in front of others. 

He regained his composure & smiled weakly, "A-Ah, sorry I'm a tad early! I just got here." That, of course. was a lie; But a harmless one. Maya chuckled & straightened her dress with her hands & gripped the strap of her purse, "I see! I was about to go try & meet you in front of my building, just in case you couldn't find my door, haha. Anyways, shall we go?" 

Moving out of her way, Don gestured her into the hallway & they left. 

Sliding into his dark blue car, Maya looked around & let out a sharp whistle, "Wow, I knew you had a nice car, but it's even nicer on the inside." He chuckled anxiously, really hoping he didn't come off like some pompous douche with his expensive car. He attempted to shake off his self consciousness, "Ah, thank you. So, are you hungry? I made a reservation at a lovely little French bistro." Maya clasped her hands together, "Oh, sounds awesome!"

And with that they were off, making pleasant small talk all the way there. 

* * *

After a small drive, Don parked & they walked up to the restaurant where a wooden sign illuminated with a lamp that read  _ Mélisse _ stood off to the side. Maya stared wide-eyed, mouth agape at the outside of the establishment. Her definition of "bistro" must have been much different than Don's, because it looked extremely high class to her.

She was thankful she had worn her nicest outfit tonight. 

Don opened the door for her, but it took Maya a second to realize, still a bit star-struck. Apologizing, she walked in & Don followed after her. He walked up to the podium where a host stood, & Don announced, "Hello, party of 2 for Wei." The host nodded, flipped through the reservation book in front of them, then lead them further inside. Maya fidgeted with her purse strap the entire time, feeling out of place. 

They were delivered to a small, fancy table fit perfectly for two. The host set two small menus in front of them & wished them a good meal before walking away. Maya wriggled anxiously in her seat a bit & glanced frantically around the table.  _ "Aw man, if I had known we were going to such a fancy place, I would have read up on fine dining…" _ she thought to herself while she looked over the multitude of silverware set next to the plate.  _ "Why do rich people even need so many forks, anyways?" _

Don picked the menu up, looking over it casually before glancing over to Maya, who was scanning it very slowly. "Are you having a hard time deciding what to order?" Maya smiled nervously, "A-Ah, no, it's just… the entire menu is in French." 

One of his eyebrows raised, "Is that an issue? You are French, correct?" Maya chuckled & rubbed the back of her neck, "Ah, yeah I am, but my family moved to Maine when I was 5, so my French is really...lacking, I guess, haha. I mostly just spoke it with my parents & grandmother, so I can't read much of anything…" 

Mentally, Don slapped himself.  _ "You idiot! Why did you assume she was fluent in French, just because she is French?! She doesn't even have an accent, it should have been obvious!" _

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I thought you'd be able to read the menu, and that you'd really enjoy having authentic French food, and-" His spitfire was calmed by Maya who leaned forward over the table & placed a finger to his lips to silence him, "Hey, it's fine! I do love French food, actually, so don't worry about it!" 

It took Don a few minutes to compose himself, his heart aflutter from Maya's touch. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, & he had to resist ducking below his menu to hide it. "W-Well!" he stammered, flipping his menu to her & pointing at the list, "I can read it, d-do you want me to help you find something to order?" 

Maya smiled brightly at Don, once again making his heart leap, "Yes, please! I'd appreciate that so much, thank you." Don, unable to hide his smile, replied, "Of course. What are you in the mood for?" 

They spent more time than anticipated in the restaurant, as they settled into a surprisingly calm & comfortable atmosphere after the menu debacle. Don helped her order the filet mignon (after he assured her it wouldn't be too expensive) & he picked out a pasta dish for himself. Once the initial awkwardness of the "first date" vibes subsided, they talked both pleasantly & enthusiastically about many things. 

Don went into his climb through the ladder of the racing management world, which Maya found both fascinating & frustrating, "I can't believe you got passed over for that assistant team-manager role just because the other guy was the grandson of the division president. I'm sorry, but that's  _ bullshit _ ." He had almost spit his water out, hearing the curse leave her lips. Swallowing hard, he let out the laughter he was holding back, "Haha! You're right, it was bullshit. But, I transferred to another team as their main manager, so I actually came out the winner there." 

Maya spoke of her experiences growing up & her interest in racing, how she had to fight with her parents for them to take it seriously, & her early days of practicing with her friend's old motorcycle out in the backwoods of New England. "And then," she said, pointing her fork dramatically, "this huge deer just popped up from the trees, like seriously, out of the blue! So I took a sharp turn to the left & slammed right into a tree, going at least 65." Don gasped, gripping his silverware & leaning into the thrilling retelling, "Miles per hour? Oh my God, were you hurt?" She smirked slightly, "Surprisingly, I just walked away with some scrapes. I managed to lean enough so the bike took most of the hit. I haven't gotten hurt too badly in all my years of racing, official or not, so I consider myself pretty lucky!" Raising his glass in a little mock toast, Don smiled, "And I hope it stays that way."

* * *

It was dark outside when they finally left the restaurant, still chatting away & giggling with each other. As they walked down the steps, Maya slipped her hands around Don's arm, giving him quite the pleasant shock. She didn't notice his sudden flustered expression, however, & just continued talking on the way to the car. Her forwardness was both refreshing, appreciated, & terrifying, 

But, Don's heart ached ever so barely when she let go to enter the passenger side of the car. 

They arrived at the movie theater a bit later, & walked up to the electronic board that scheduled the showings. "Was there anything you were interested in seeing, Maya?" Don asked, looking over at her. Maya's eyes were scanning over the titles, humming while she decided. "...Hmm, how about this one?" 

She pointed to a suspense & action thriller, which Don found quite appropriate for her. Something exciting, with energy & intensity. A lot like her, really. 

So, they paid, received their tickets, & entered the theater. Due to the fact it was a later showing, quite a lot of the seats were quite empty. Maya skipped up the steps, holding her hand out to implore don to follow, "Let's sit here, right in the middle! It's the best view!" Again, she was being too cute for Don to handle. 

He followed her, & they settled into their seats, right in the very middle. It didn't take long for the movie to start, & they both stopped their conversation to gaze at the screen. Trailers rolled by, then the movie began.

About 20 minutes into the film, Don felt something bump against his elbow. He looked down, to see that Maya had moved her arm on her armrest a tad closer to him. And that her hand was there, almost invitingly so. 

But did Don have enough courage to  _ go for it _ was the question. He had been so timid all night, maybe it was time for him to gather some semblance of courage & make a move already. 

He swallowed the lump in his throat, painfully, & lifted his hand. It hovered there for much longer than he'd like to admit, mere centimeters from Maya's. A few times, he had reached forward, then pulled back, only to reach forward again with wavering confidence. 

Thanks to all of his hesitation, Maya had enough time to adjust herself again & brush her knuckles against his trembling hand. She looked down, startling Don. His face was red & pathetic, as if he was a child caught stealing a cookie. Her ruby eyes flickered up to him, & she smiled softly. 

Flipping her hand over, palm up, she slipped her fingers between his, lacing them together. Don had forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds, feeling Maya's hand intertwined with his. Her skin was so soft & warm, much more so than he had ever dreamed of. 

She gave it a gentle squeeze, making his heart flip, & turned her attention back to the movie. Don attempted to do the same, but took some time trying to draw his focus away from the feeling of Maya's slender fingers curled around his hand. 

But 20 more minutes into the film, he wished he hadn't bothered. 

_ "This film is awful…" _ he practically groaned internally. 

With a slightly scrunched up face, Maya leaned over to his side to whisper, "Hey, so, this movie sucks, right?" Don blinked at her, genuinely surprised she had the exact same thoughts. "Oh, absolutely. The acting is atrocious," he whispered back, rewarding him with giggles from Maya.

Then, she stood up, still gripping his hand. Boldly, she demanded, "Let's get out of here, forget this garbage." He could only blindly comply, ready to follow wherever her hand would lead. 

Also, the movie was giving him a headache.

* * *

Maya & Don laughed as they escaped the theater, a certain playful side coming out of Maya when they slipped out the door & into the crisp night air. They walked down the sidewalk, still hand in hand, bashing what they had just witnessed on screen.

"The motivation was very lacking as well, incredibly unrealistic. It's like they thought the protagonist would kill a man for a candy bar?" Maya laughed loudly, nodding furiously in agreement, "Right? Ahaha, and the effects were so bad too! I've seen better 3D in vintage movies!" 

They got lost in their conversation, walking absentmindedly & carrying on about this, that, anything really. It seemed to easy for them to talk about whatever came to mind, with little fear that it would awkwardly end the conversation or possibly offend the other. They already were speaking as if they had been close friends for years, quite a departure from the oppressive business-like atmosphere that dampened their conversations at work.

Their hands had never separated.

Giggling from a joke Don had just made, Maya took a quick glance around their surroundings & realized they had walked quite a ways from the main streets of downtown & were coming upon a small city park. A pleasant surprise, since her feet were starting to ache a bit from walking so much in the heel of her boots.

"Hey, mind if we take a little break over there?" she asked, pointing to a metal bench settled between freshly bloomed flower beds. Don nodded & followed her over, where they both settled next to each other, closely due to the limited space on the bench. Their entwined hands rested between their thighs on the cold metal.

A light nighttime breeze fell over them, causing a shiver to flow up Maya's spine. Her exposed shoulders & lightly covered legs did not help warm her from the cold night air, but she hadn't the foresight to know she would be out & about at this hour.

Don took note immediately, his concern finally causing him to act before overthinking tonight. In a flash, he had slipped off his jacket & draped it around Maya's shoulders, "You looked cold. Does this help?" 

Looking up at him with surprise, Maya blushed brightly & gripped the collar of the jacket with her free hand, pulling it tighter around her. It was warm, & smelled like him: a bit like fallen autumn leaves, a lingering scent of leather, with a touch of expensive cologne. Another shiver ran up her spine, for a different reason, "...Yeah, thank you, Don…" Both his actions & attentive expression managed to catch her attention more than she expected, & she had a hard time pulling away. Her heart skipped a beat when Don smiled kindly with relief, "Good, I'm glad." 

It was a bit hard for them to go back to conversing again. Maya was still a tad awe-struck, & Don's nerves had returned after his single confident move, preventing him from keeping up his momentum. So they both just sat there, silently on the bench, holding hands & looking at the sky. There were very few stars thanks to the light pollution of the city, but the moon shone bright & clearly. 

"I love the moon. It looks beautiful tonight," Maya spoke, breaking the silence. Don glanced over at her & chuckled slightly, "I would have never guessed, with the tattoo & all." She blinked & blushed slightly again, touching her free hand to her cheek, "Ahaha, yeah, it's a little something from my rebellious teenager phase. Still, I've always loved the moon. I don't know why, there's just something about it…"

Don could relate. At least, now he could. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about Maya, gazing wistfully at the moon with the bright light washing over her beautiful form, that captivated him. 

Maybe it was the fact that she was so relaxed, open, & he could feel at ease around her. There was no pressure, no expectation of him like he had with his family or work, or underlying worry that she was using him for her career or money. She genuinely seemed to enjoy his company, enough to feel comfortable acting like herself as well. Maya also did a fantastic job at pulling him out of his comfort zone in a spontaneous & fun way. Her energy was infectious & almost healing, in a way. He'd never felt so...free, before. 

In one night, his simple crush quickly seemed to have developed into something more. 

A deep sigh escaped Maya, & she closed her eyes before grinning over at Don, "This walk was a way better decision than the movie, but it's getting late. Think we should head back to the car & call it a night?" 

Don's heart dropped slightly at the thought of leaving her tonight. How long had it been since he would miss the company of another person like this? It was refreshing, in a melancholy way, "Ah, I suppose you're right. I'll take you home then." 

Maya stood first & dragged Don up, the tight squeeze she gave him indicating she had no intention of letting go of his hand just yet. This made him smile, & he followed after gladly. They made their way back to the movie theater parking lot, speaking very little, but the warm smiles on their faces said all that needed to be said. 

* * *

They arrived back at Maya's apartment a small while later, & Don walked Maya all the way to her door under the guise of chivalry. Really, he just wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before they parted for the night. 

Slipping Don's jacket off, Maya handed it to him with a wink, "I had a wonderful time tonight Don, what about you?" Damn that cursed wink, he was always at risk of melting under it, "I-I had a great time as well, I'm so happy you did...I know it wasn't perfect, really there were a lot of issues, like the French menu, that disaster of a movie, and-" 

Again, he fell silent from Maya's touch, her finger to his lips again. A faux pout fell on her face, "Hey, none of that now! No first date is perfect, but I had fun! The food was delicious & sure, that movie sucked, but the walk was lovely. I'm exhausted, though, so I think I'll turn in for the night."

Don took a deep breath, "You're right, I'm sorry. I've just been a bit nervous is all. Would you...like to go out again, sometime?" The smile that spread over Maya's face was beaming, & she nodded furiously, "I would love to! Same time next weekend?" 

"T-That soon?" Don asked, surprised. Maya blinked, "Is that a problem?" He shook his head, messing with the collar of his shirt a bit, "Ah, no, that would be perfect, actually. We can discuss our plans later, you go ahead and get some sleep." 

Maya nodded, opening her door, & finally letting their hands fall apart. Don's hand immediately felt cold. 

"Sounds like a plan. Thank you again for the amazing night out," she said softly, & leaned forward. 

She placed a quick but warm kiss on his cheek, causing Don's face to immediately burn. "Goodnight Don, drive home safe," she said with another wink, & slipped into her apartment, closing the door behind her. 

A full 5 minutes passed for Don while he stood in the hallway of her apartment. That kiss, which was way more than he ever expected to receive tonight, had absolutely short circuited his heart. He was falling for Maya, and falling fast & hard. How dangerous for him.

Auto pilot kicked in for him, & with little emotion on his face he left, drove home, & walked through the front door of his house. Slipping his jacket & shoes off, he walked over to his couch & fell on it without a word. 

Then, as if he had finally come back to reality, the widest smile ever in his life spread over his face. And the butterflies in his stomach were back in full force. 

Due to his emotional high, he barely got any sleep that night.

* * *

Maya closed the door behind herself & took in a deep breath. She kicked her painful boots off with relief & collapsed belly first onto her couch. 

"Oh my god, I kissed him...I kissed him! On the cheek, but still!" She let out a girlish squeal into a throw pillow & kicked her legs in the air, overwhelmed with her feelings. Hell, she didn't think they would be getting that far tonight either, despite her confident advances. 

Admittedly, towards the beginning of the night, she was unsure. She had originally accepted Don's invitation on the basis that he was nice, charming, & pretty cute. You could say she had a bit of interest in him, but with their lack of interaction outside work, it wasn't much. 

Of course, that was absolutely not the case now. Don had been fun, thoughtful, & comfortable to be around. She was immediately worried she wouldn't be "high class" enough for his tastes at the restaurant, but he really tried his best to assure her & tried to make the meal as enjoyable as he could. He didn't judge her for her lack of knowledge or for not being "ladylike" enough, both surprising & relieving. Really, after a while, she forgot about any expectations & just acted like her normal self. And she carried this on into the movie, and the walk. She was herself, & it never felt like it was _wrong_ to be herself. 

Maya had been on many dates, considering her attractiveness. And she willingly gave most of them a shot, with...a lot of the men she saw being quite rude & demanding of her. They all expected Maya to be submissive, compliant, & she was of course anything but. She didn't have enough fingers to count the amount of times a man expected an overly feminine, subservient woman out of her. Don hadn't been that way at all though, if anything he encouraged her to be herself. He let her choose what she liked, listened to her attentively, & showed genuine concern for her happiness tonight. It had been a very long time since she has felt so content with someone else. 

"Damn...I think I like him," she mumbled to herself with a smile. Sleep would not come easily for her either that night. 

**Author's Note:**

> UGH I LOVE THESE TWO HONESTLY...Don has every right to be a nervous wreck, Maya is a goddess. I'm so gay for her. Anyways, this was fun to write! I really like the dynamic of Don & Maya's relationship, with Maya being the more playful dominant side & Don being the more submissive but still obviously cares deeply for her side. He's such a lovestruck fool, lol.  
> And bonus, here's a lil thing I did of Maya in the outfit described in this fic! https://lovelesskiaart.tumblr.com/post/186131995776/maya-is-best-wife-dont-me-based-on-an-outfit


End file.
